1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to hinge structure formed between two members, for example, hinge structure of a bending portion of a protector cover for wire protection, and particularly to hinge structure that enables, in a bending portion of a protector in which electric wires such as a wire harness or the like are bent to be laid down according to a shape of a side on which the wires are fixed, the electric wires stored in the protector not to receive excessive bending stress.
2. Related Art
In case that a wire harness formed by bundling a plurality of electric wires is wired in a car body, a protector made of resin is generally used in order to prevent the wire harness from coming into contact with other members when the wire harness is held in the predetermined wiring position, and protect the wire harness properly. This protector requires various modes according to a shape of a side on which the wire harness is fixed. However, it is not economical to prepare all their modes according to the shape of the side on which the wire harness is fixed. For example, in case of a shape in which a center portion is bent at a right angle, a hinge portion is provided and the protector is correspondingly bent at its hinge portion. This protector, which has the center portion bent at a right angle and a protector cover that covers an entire opening side surface of the protector and has a shape of a lid, has been disclosed in JP-A-63-17510U and JP-A-64-6719U, and it has the constitution shown in FIG. 7.
In the figure, a protector 1 includes a protector body 3 which is opened upward, formed according to the shape of the side on which electric wires are fixed, for example, substantially in the shape of L, and stores electric wires 2 (for example, wire harness) therein; and a protector cover 5 for closing an opening portion 4 of this protector body 3.
This protector body 3 is composed of a first housing portion 10, a second housing portion 14 and a hinge portion 15. The first housing portion 10 includes a bottom portion 7 and a pair of side walls 8,9 erectly formed on both sides of this bottom portion 7. The second housing portion 14 includes a bottom portion 11 and a pair of side walls 12, 13 erectly formed on both sides of this bottom portion 11. The hinge 15 joins these first and second housing portions 10, 14 so that they can be bent. The protector cover 5 is used in order to close the protector body 3, and composed of a first cover portion 19, a second cover portion 23, and the a hinge 24. The first cover portion 19 includes a lid portion 16 and a pair or side walls 17, 18 erectly formed on both sides of this lid portion 16 and that closes the first housing portion 10. The second cover portion 23 includes a lid portion 20 and a pair of side walls 21, 22 erectly formed on both sides of this lid portion 20 and that closes the second housing portion 14. The hinge 24 joins the first cover portion 19 and the second cover portion 23 that they can be bent.
In the thus structured protector 1, firstly, the protector body 3 is attached along a fixing member onto which it is fixed as shown in FIG. 7. And, the wire harness (electric wires) 2 is stored in the protector body 3 along the protector body 3, and the first cover portion 19 is fitted to the first housing portion 10 in such a manner that fitting claws (not shown) provided for the side walls 17, 18 of the first cover portion 19 are inserted into lock portions (not shown) of the first housing portion 10. By this fitting, the first cover portion 19 closes the first housing portion 10. This fitting of the first step makes a state where a half of the protector body 3 is covered with the protector cover 5.
Next, the second cover portion 23 is rotated toward the second housing portion 14 so as to be bent at the hinge portion 24. And, the second cover portion 23 is fitted to the second housing portion 14 in such a manner that fitting claws (not shown) provided for the side walls 21, 22 of the second cover portion 23 are inserted into lock portions (not shown) of the second housing portion 14. By this fitting, the second cover portion 23 closes the second housing portion 14. By this fitting of the second step, the incorporation of the second cover portion 23 and the second housing portion 14 is completed, and the other half portion of the protector body 3 is covered with the protector cover 5, so that the assembly of the protector 1 is completed.
In case that the protector is thus bent and laid according to the shape of the side on which the protector is fixed, and the electric wires are laid along this protector, bending of the bending portion is provided by only the hinge 15 in the related hinge structure, as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, the bending R is small, so that there is a problem that the wire harness is stretched at the joint portions of the hinge 15 and the bottom portions 7, 11 on the opposite side to the bending side and excessive bending stress is applied onto the wire harness.
An object of the invention is to prevent the electric wires stored in the members which are bent and laid according to the shape of the side on which the members are fixed from receiving the excessive bending stress at the bending portion.
In order to achieve the above object, a hinge structure includes a first member, a second member, a first hinge member which joins the first member and second member, and at least one curved surface member provided at least one of the first member and second member.
By this constitution, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the electric wires stored in the members that are bent and laid according to the shape of the side on which the members are fixed from receiving the excessive bending stress at the bending portion.
In order to achieve the above object, the two members are formed by the protector cover for closing the opening surface of the protector body that has the side walls formed erectly on both sides and the opening portion in which one surface is opened.
By this constitution, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the electric wires stored in the protector that is bent and laid according to the shape of the side on which the protector is fixed from receiving the excessive bending stress at the bending portion.
Further, the hinge structure may be formed by a protector comprising a protector body having side walls erectly formed on both sides of a bottom portion, an opening portion in which one surface is opened, and one or more than two bending portions formed at the proper position; and a protector cover having the shape corresponding to the protector body, which has side walls erectly formed on both side portions of a lid portion, an opening portion in which one surface is opened, one or more than two bending portions formed at the proper position, and a hinge between lid portions at the bending portion, and which closes the opening portion of the aforesaid protector body. And, at the lid portion of the protector cover, one or more than two curved surfaces are formed so as to protrude on the opening portion side at a predetermined distance from a hinge forming end portion of this lid portion.
By this constitution, it is possible to prevent the electric wires stored in the protector that is bent and laid on the protector cover side according to the shape of the side on which the protector is fixed from receiving the excessive bending stress at the bending portion.
Further, the hinge structure may be formed by a protector comprising a protector body having side walls erectly formed on both sides of a bottom portion, an opening portion in which one surface is opened, one or more than two bending portions formed at the proper position, and a hinge between a bottom portions of the bending portion; and a protector cover having the shape corresponding to the protector body, which has side walls erectly formed on both side portions of a lid portion, an opening portion in which one surface is opened, one or more than two bending portions formed at the proper position, and a hinge between lid portions at the bending portion, and which closes the opening portion of the aforesaid protector body. And, at the bottom portion of the protector body, one or more than two curved surfaces are formed so as to protrude on the opening portion side at a predetermined distance from a hinge forming end portion of this bottom portion.
By this constitution, it is possible to prevent the electric wires stored in the protector that is bent and laid according to the shape of the side on which the protector is fixed from receiving the excessive bending stress at the bending portion.